Making fresh mozzarella: Issues with the curd
Got a quick question about the term "clean break"....this is my second time making mozzarella and my curd never looks "tofu-esque" as I see it in images online...The whey is clear and separate, though it's definitely not a solid sheet... Is this right? Should I expect a more solid surface ? I
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I agree with lulubelle that it's probably the milk. I make mozzarella on a regular basis, and I've found that I have to buy one specific kind of milk (locally produced, so probably freshest) to get good, solid curd. Others, even if they don't say they're UP, don't work as well.
If during your experimenting you find that your curds are broken, you can still try to make mozzarella. I've had many successes, working and kneading the lumpy curds using the microwave method discussed on the New England cheesemaking website (link provided by smtucker). And when all else fails, you can use your curds like a modified ricotta! I've done that a couple times, just putting it into a lasagne and once into ricotta gnocchi, and it's been great!
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re: Lenox637
Channa
Mar 11, 2009 10:17 AM
If you can't find it nearby, you can order from PennMac:
http://www.pennmac.com/items/3469
I was ordering flour and yeast from them anyway, so I added the curd, since it didn't increase the postage cost.
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re: smtucker
sixelagogo
Mar 11, 2009 02:55 AM
thanks for the link.....the problem with my curd is that it never set up like hers in the photo (tofu-ey)...it's more like large granuals sitting on top.....the whey, on the otherhand, is clear like the pic.
I also wonder if it's the milk i'm using may be the culprit: (A&P brand whole milk- while not Ultra Pasteurized, maybe it's been pasteurized at too high a setting)-
re: sixelagogo
lulubelle
Mar 11, 2009 04:14 AM
Your milk is probably pasteurized. I made cheese last summer and my first batch was a mess. it looked like it was going to be so great, but it never formed a solid mass. I had been using milk from the Target, and someone told me that national brands of milk frequently are pasteurized to a higher temperature because they spend so much time in transit.
I tried again with milk from a local dairy, and had great luck. Here are links to my two blog entries on the subject.
Failure http://landolulu.blogspot.com/2008/07/poets-have-been-mysteriously-silent-on.html
Success http://landolulu.blogspot.com/2008/07...-
re: lulubelle
I agree with the milk. I now spend double to buy local farm milk for our cheese, and the difference is noticeable. What is baffling is, that I would buy supermarket brand milk that was great, but then the next gallon, the cheese would clump. I prefer hitting the mark 100% of the time, so I suck it up and pay for the good stuff.
The local farm stuff is still pasteurized, but is clearly handled better from farm to shop.
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re: lulubelle
sixelagogo
Mar 11, 2009 06:27 PM
lulu:
i think yer right and i think it's my milk...i checked out the images on yer blog (which is a great read, by the way) and that's what I got: grainy, non-tofu-ey curds (even after a long sit)...though i've been to the cheessstore's website, this was the first time i saw the UltraPasturized Section and ditto the aforementioned statement. Thanks for the links and keep on curding
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Are you making the curd from scratch? That may be your issue. It is definitely harder to make your own curd rather than starting with a commercial curd. I gave up on making my own curd b/c I always had a consistency issue. I have had nothing but success since I switched to using a commercial curd - much easier and more consistency. Good luck! If you are already using a commercial curd and having issues I may be able to help with a couple tips and tricks...
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re: Channa
I have had my best results after freezing ALL of the curd before I use it. Separate the amount you want to use the first time and freeze BOTH batches. I may be crazy but I get the best consistency after using thawed curd. I think it may have something to do with the freezing process leeching more liquid out of the curd so you are left with more curd and less liquid. Bring the thawed curd to room temp before you begin to cook it. As far as freezing the finished cheese, I have found that frozen cheese is best if you are going to use it in a cooking/melting application and not as a fresh application. You definitely lose a little of the bouncy texture of true fresh mozzarella once the finished cheese is frozen. It is still good to use on pizza, pasta, etc. but just not as good if you want to eat it fresh. Hope this helps and good luck!
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re: lolasdad
Channa
Mar 12, 2009 10:15 AM
Thanks for that advice -- You have no idea how timely it is! The curd arrived early this morning, and it arrived already frozen! Not knowing what to do, I put it in the freezer, thinking "I'll deal with that later." Now it doesn't seem like such a disaster. . . except for having to thaw and cook the whole lot. But there are worse things than having too much fresh mozzarella!
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re: lolasdad
If you are using the commercial Polly-O curd, do you know what might cause a rubbery, not creamy final product? Someone was having a problem with it but I do not know this curd so was not sure. Seemed like a large loss of butterfat during the application of hot water and stretching. Too high a water temp was one idea I had, maybe too much time in the water, also. Thanks
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re: dietndesire
A few things cause butterfat loss.
Cutting the curd improperly....too big or too small.... 1 inch cubes is about right.
Heating too quickly......use two baths, first around 90, hot tap water...the second around 160.
Treating the curd roughly...be gentle. When you drain the first water, don't drain it all, allow the water to support the cubes so they don't rest on each other, squeezing more fat out.
When you stretch, stretch slowly, and don't REALLY stretch it, let it genly fall out of your hands, you are simply supporting it, gravity stretches it.
If the water gets too cold you will have to work harder, squeezing BF out.
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